Bilge-water alarm.



c. R. FORD. BILGE WATER ALARM.

APPLlCAIlON FILED SEPT-22, I915- Patented Feb. 20-,

. UNITED STATES PATEISTT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. FORD, 0F PADUCAH, KE SITUCKY.

BILGE-WATER ALARM.

Paducah, in the county of McCracken and State of Kentucky, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements 1n Bllge- WaterAlai-ms, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to devices for indieating the depth of water inthe hold of a vessel and to sound an alarm when the water reaches apredetermined height.

The object of the invention is to provide a device which will be simplein construction, composed of very few parts, and efficient in operationto sound an alarm and indicate inwhatpart of the vessel the high wateris located.

The stated object and other incidental objects of the invention areattained in an apparatus of the type disclosed inthe accompanyingdrawings, and the invention resides 1n certain novel features which willfirst be fully described and then more particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In thedrawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in section and partly in elevation of myimproved apparatus, the said figure being somewhat diagrammatic in itsnature;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail vertical sec tional view of the movableindicator member.

In carrying out my invention, I employ a hollow standard or tubular post1 which is secured in a bracket or base plate 2 rigidly secured upon thedeck of the vessel. This post or standard may be opened or closed at itsupper end, asmay be preferred, and is constructed with a longitudinalslot 3 through which the indicator finger may play. Along one. side ofsaid slot, I provide a series of graduations 4 which will indicate theheight of the water in the hull at any time. The post or hollow standardis preferably threaded into the base plate or bracket 2, as shown at 5,whereby it may be easily removed when necessary.

Within the post or standard 1 is slidably mounted a bar or rod 6 to thelower end er which is secured, in any desired manner,".a float 7 whichis preferably a hollow body l having a wide base 8 so as to present anextended surface to the actlon of the water.

In order that this float or air chamber may be protected :trom inj uryby contact wlth Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed September 22, 1915. Serial 1 lo. 51,966.

any objects W 11011 may happen to befioating in the water, I secure tothe frame of the vessel or to th e lowest deck or flooring thereof acage 9 wiich may be of any foraminous or erforatec construction andwhich will pre erably be constructed of stout wire net'- ting in orderthat the water'may circulate freely theretl rough. The top of the cageis open, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, so as to ofier no obstruction tothe free ri se and fall of the float and the rod or bar '6 carrying thesame. I1 the base plate or bracket 2 and in the deck 10 0f the vessel, Iform registering openings or passages 11 through which may pass alifting rod or wire 1.? which has its lower end attached to the float 7,as shown at 13, so that the float and the bar 6 may be raised andlowered at will to test the operativeness' of the apparatus. Securedaround the post or standard 1, near or at the up er end thereof, is acollar 14 which is iIlSL' lated from the post by a band 15 of vulcanileor other insulating material. At an convenient point in this'collar 14,I provi e a birding post 16 to which an electric conductcr 17 isattached. In the masters cabin or at some other point of the vessel,-Where it may be very readily observed, I pr )vide a signal board 18upon which is mounted a bell or similar alarm 19 and a plural .ty oflamps 20.- Any number of these lamps may be provided and in the presentinsta uce I have illustrated four, the said lamps corresponding to the;port and star-board sides of the vessel and to the fore and aft positions. The conductor 17 is connected with one terminal 21 of the lampcircuit. A iattery or other source of electrical energy, indcated at 23,is connected by a conductor 24 with the bell 19 and a conductor 25cornects the hell with the terminal 26 of the lam p. To the upper end ofthe bar or rod 6, I secure an indicator finger 27 which is ins ilatedfrom the barand from the post by v ulcanite or other material, indicatedat 28, and to the said indicator finger, I secure one end of a conductor29 which leads to the battery 23. It will be readily understood that asmany gages will be provided as may be desired andthat each gage will beconne cted with a lamp corresponding to the position of the gage in thevessel, each lamp being in circuit with the hell or other alarm insubstantially the manner indicated and ust descrbed. The operation ofdevice will readily understood. As

' cend or descend-and the indicator bar or-.rod

' 6 will cause the finger 27 to play correspondingly past the ga e 4,thereby showing, at all times, the exact eight of the water in the hold.The collar 14 may, of course, be set at any desired point of the post 1so that an alarm may be sounded at any predetermined height of water inthe vessel. .When the water reaches the said predetermined height, theindicator finger 27 will be carried against the collar 14 and,theelectric circuit will be thereby closed so that the lamp will beignited and theialarm sounded. A glance at the signal board will showthe master or other oilicer in charge the location of the high water andthe pumps may be manned accordngly or other action taken to preventsinking or other damage to the vesscl.

My device is obviously simple in its construction and may be applied toany vessel at a very low cost.

It is to be understood that the apparatus may be provided with a circuitcloser at a vors for use as a low-water alarm.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In an apparatus for the purpose set forth, the combination of a post,an indicator bar playing in the post, a float carried by said indicatorbar, and a lifter secured to the float and extending upywardlytherefromadjacent the indicator bar.

2. The combination of an indicator post, a collar secured about andinsulated from the post and forming a contact member, a float, anindicator bar rising from the float and guided by the post, an indicatorfinger forming a contact member carried by and in- :sulated from saidbar and playingover the post to be carried into contact with the collaron the post, and means for guiding the finger in a rectilinear path.

In testimony whereof-I aflix my signature.

CHARLES R. FORD. 11. 5.

